Rain
by SeeNoEvil121
Summary: A collection of one shots in a high school setting. requests accepted! Ch. 8 - In which the Straw Hat Gang talk about their dates to the dance. Or… lack thereof
1. Rain

**A/N:** Gakuen One Piece. A One Shot! So this story has been floating around in my head for a while not. Well, not this particular scene, but the idea as a whole. This scene was inspired by a picture I found:

http:/ www . zerochan . net / 397681. I don't normally ship characters, and this is my first time writing Hancock, so if she's a bit OOC, let me know (though OCCness is a bit inevitable in this situation… So far it's a One Shot, but I've found a few similar pictures of these floating around and I've got other scenes from this story that have been bugging me for months anyway. I don't think I'll publish them though unless this gets a positive reaction (but I'll still write them :3).

**SNE121**

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**Rain**

She couldn't really explain why she found herself attracted to him. She'd been told so many times that she was better than that - that she should let him go - but she couldn't. She didn't care that he was a junior and she a senior. That he was average and she was the most beautiful girl in the school. She paid no mind to the dozens of boys lining up to try to claim her. There was just something about him that made her stone heart melt into molten rock.

She walked down the street in silence, her school bag held in one hand and a pink umbrella held in the other, leaning on her shoulder. The rain had been falling non-stop all day. The first rain of the season. Hancock hated the rain. The way it made her carefully blow dried long black hair frizzy and tangled. The way her shoes, stocking, and even her school uniform always ended up soaked because of immature kids who had the nerve to splash in puddles in front of her.

She was thankful that the bus stop was only a block away from school. All she had to do was endure it until she reached it and then she'd be under the cover of the overhang, sitting and waiting for the vehicle to take her home. Hancock turned the corner and there a few feet away stood her sanctuary from the rain. With a bit more enthusiasm in her step, she walked toward it; not running – Hancock never ran for anything except Homecoming Queen. The sound of rain hitting her umbrella faded away as she stepped under the safety of the overhang and she lowered it, letting it fold closed.

Hancock leaned against the wall holding up the overhang as she waited for the bus to arrive. Her eyes fell to the watch around her wrist, watching the snake-shaped second hand tick away the seconds. The wait wouldn't be too long. The steady cadence of the rain was interrupted by a more erratic splashing and Hancock turned her gaze away from the watch to look up for the source.

_I swear, if it's another underclassman splashing puddles and I get wet again, I'm going to – _

The thought was cut short as she spotted the source of the splashing - a boy with unruly black hair. His uniform shirt was un-tucked as usual, the top button open and collar devoid of the regulation blue and black tie that all students were required to wear. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, his feet almost bare but for the thin sandals that he always wore despite the complaints of their instructors.

Luffy.

Hancock felt heat rise in her cheeks as he neared her, his arms over his head to hold up his school bag which seemed to be his only source of shelter from the heavy rainfall. Surely that wouldn't be enough! His white shirt was soaked through already and his hair was beginning to stick to his forehead. Hancock couldn't allow that.

"L-Luffy!" she said. Normally ,she couldn't bring up the nerve to do more than smile shyly and wave at the younger boy who had mysteriously taken her heart, but impulse overtook her common sense. Hancock opened her umbrella and jumped into the rain, not even bothering to cover herself this time. It was obvious Luffy needed it more. Her face was red, her eyes closed as she held the umbrella out in front of her to cover Luffy. The black haired boy looked her way upon hearing his name, surprised.

"Hancock?" he asked. Whether he hadn't seen her or he was startled by her sudden action was debatable, but either way, he slowed to a stop as the rainfall drumming on his head did the same. Hancock's blush deepened upon being addressed directly and she lowered her head to try to hide it, looking up at Luffy from beneath long eyelashes.

"It… it's raining and.. your umbrella. You don't have one." she managed nervously. Her hands were unconsciously twisting around the umbrella. Maybe she had made the wrong decision. Was he the sort of guy who disapproved of help like this? "You're soaking wet and… and I'm worried you'll get sick so…" she thrust the umbrella toward him, "Please, take it!"

Expressing her worry for the boy was too embarrassing – made it clear that she had feelings for him. While it wasn't a huge mystery to anyone but, apparently him, she couldn't bring herself to comfortably express this simple concern without getting flustered.

For a moment he was silent as he stared at her, his bag still held over his head as if by habit. He realized after a few seconds that she was getting soaked and his eyes drifted up to the pink umbrella. It was sheltering only him from the rain.

"But what about you? Won't you get sick if you don't have it?" he asked her uncertainly. He lowered his bag to one hand and scratched the back of his head uncertainly. "I wouldn't feel right if you got sick because of me… You walk the same was as me, right? Why don't we share it?"

If possible, Hancock's face turned an even deeper shade of scarlet and she raised her eyes to look at Luffy. _He_ was concerned for _her_ well-being! Beyond that, he wanted to walk home with her! Her heart was pounding so hard she felt that it would explode out of her chest into a million flowers. Could this… could this be _love_?

Normally, Hancock wouldn't walk so far on a good day, but they _did_ walk the same way, she knew. She just lived a bit further – so she'd be able to ensure that he made it home at least partially dry. Luffy's yes narrowed slightly in concern.

"Your face is all read," he told her. He reached out and pressed a hand to her cheek, then moved it uip to her forehead. "And you feel really warm, like you have a fever or something. Are you ok?"

She would have collapsed right there if the ground weren't so wet. Hancock hastily nodded her head and Luffy pulled his hand away from her as if shocked. "I-I'm fine!" she said quickly. She looked at him hopefully, "I'd love to share the umbrella with you. I-if… if you're ok with it, that is,"

A laugh escaped his lips and the sound was music to Hancock's ears. He took the umbrella out of her hands gently and held it a bit higher to ensure it covered both of them. "Of course I don't mind," he told her with a smile, "I wouldn't offer if I did. Come on, let's go," With that, he started walking. Hancock was frozen on the spot for a moment, her heart pounding a mile a minute. Then, a broad smile spread across her lips and she nodded as she jogged a few steps to catch up with him under the umbrella.

She resisted the urge to take his arm, but honestly, she didn't have to. Walking home with him was more than enough.

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**A/N: **So tell me what you think, whether you like it or hate it, or have advice or anything. Feedback is my best friend :D Thanks for reading!

SNE121


	2. Cut

**Title:** Cut  
**Rating:** K  
**Characters:** Hancock x Luffy  
**Warnings:** AU Gakuen One Piece.  
**Summary:** Hancock has never liked running, but she'll make an exception if she gets a chance to do it with a certain someone.  
**A/N:** Well, it seemed that those who read this story liked it, so I thought, why not? I had this written anyway. Again GAKUEN ONE PIECE. I'm tempted to make this a series of one shots about the characters in school as opposed to a full story, since it's always more fun to write bits and pieces of a story like this. (No they won't ALL be HancockxLuffy) Anyway, thanks for the support so far and keep reading! Any OOCness? Let me know please!  
**Disclaimer(s):** One Piece and all of its characters are owned by the great Eichiro Oda.

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Hancock wasn't the sort who enjoyed exercise. Or, for that matter, any other activity that involved getting disgusting and sweaty. She was more the artsy type, a sculptor in particular. But alas, some activities were inevitable when a mandatory class was Physical Education and running days occurred once a week. This was one of those days. And Hancock was not happy.

She slowly stripped herself of her school uniform and replaced it with her dark blue bloomers and white t-shirt; her full name "BOA HANCOCK" sewn above her heart, and finally a pair of school-issued exercise shoes. It wasn't the most comfortable uniform for some girls – Tashigi had always been uncomfortable, but Hancock didn't mind it too much. Her figure wasn't one to be ashamed of.

After grabbing a jacket, she closed the locker in which she was storing her clothing and made her way out of the locker room. It was a sunny day, but the cool wind from the north brought an investable chill to the school grounds. At least with the win, she thought to herself, she wouldn't have to worry so much about the sweat. If all went according to plan, the cool air would keep it at bay. As she walked across the school yard, she managed a few glances around. Her sisters, Sandersonia and Marigold, were sitting together with Marguerite, Sweet Pea, and Aphelandra – Hancock considered joining them for a few moments before a distraction drew her eyes away.

A familiar head of short orange hair rushed by her, nearly knocking her off her feet as it made its way across the field. Hancock stumbled, quick to catch herself and stand at her full height once more and her eyes narrowed as she stared after the girl, a year younger than herself. Nami. Hancock took a step in her direction, prepared to give the girl a piece of her mind - the _nerve_ she had crossing Hancock's path without permission – but she stopped when she realized just who the girl was enthusiastically running toward.

Near the field, waiting eagerly for the class to start, was a familiar raven-haired boy. His usual school uniform was replaced by the standard boy's P.E. attire, shorts and a t-shirt and, because of the cold air, a sweater not unlike Hancock's own. Behind him, looking rather irritated, was the green-haired senior Roronoa Zoro, a rather frightening young man that people believed had ties to a local Yakuza. At his right was another senior – the blond-haired Sanji swooning over the sophomore Vivi and seniors Robin and Tashigi. Young Chopper, only a freshman, was standing beside the long-nosed sophomore Usopp listening to one of his tall tales rather than stretching.

She paid no attention to the boys near Luffy, but rather the _women_. He spend much of his time with that Robin and Nami, (though she wasn't concerned about Robin as she typically didn't date younger men) but Nami was another matter entirely. They were the same age, she and Luffy, and with all the time they spent together… one had to wonder.

So Hancock quickly made her decision. She walked right passed her sisters and usual group of friends to approach Luffy's group. Robin, ever perceptive, was the first to notice Hancock and a knowing smile spread across her lips as Hancock came to a stop behind Nami. "Well hello there, Miss Hancock," she said easily. The miss could easily be interpreted as mocking, but Hancock chose to ignore it.

Nami turned her head to look at the girl Robin was speaking to and the once cheerful expression on her face faded into one of obvious distaste. Hancock was leaning back, looking up at the sky while pointing a finger down at Nami in a way the orange-haired girl _really_ didn't like. "You're in my way," she said to Nami.

Nami's brow furrowed as she placed her hands on her hips, looking up at the taller Hancock. "Last I checked, you have plenty of space to go around," she said firmly. Hancock tilted her head forward slightly to get a better look at Nami, looking down her nose at the girl. For a moment, there was absolute silence as the tension between the two rose like an electrical current.

"Don't be mean, Nami," Luffy said with a slight chuckle, his hand falling on the girl's shoulder. It seemed he had finished with his stretching and was now smiling as usual, the small scar below his eyes creasing slightly. Nami crossed her arms over her chest, unhappy obviously with Luffy's reaction, and turned away to join Robin, Tashigi, and Vivi. Luffy looked toward Hancock, crossing his arms comfortably behind his head.

"What's up, Hancock?" he asked her. Hancock's face reddened instantly as she realized what he'd just done. Defended her in front of one of his closest friends… this must be love… a _proposal_ even! The thought of it made her knees weak and suddenly she found herself unable to form words.

"I-i-i… I was…" she stopped, looking away from Luffy and fidgeting with the bottom hem of her sweater as if that would distract her from whom she was speaking to. "I was… wondering if you'd… like to run with me?" She asked slowly. She chanced a look up at Luffy from beneath eyelashes, her face scarlet.

Luffy didn't even consider the question, but to Hancock, it felt like ages before he said, "Yeah, sure," with that usual grin of his. Hancock's heart skipped a beat and she smiled broadly. "I always run with my friends and you're my friend, so you don't even have to ask. Right guys?" he looked at the others who agreed (Nami more grudgingly than not) and at that moment the whistle signaling the beginning of the run blew loudly.

"Let's get moving, guys! Have a SUPER time running!" The physical education teacher (known as 'Franky' to his students because he didn't like the sound of the word 'sensei' being attached) announced. The others took off ahead of them and Hancock was quick to catch up beside him. As much as she hated running, maybe today it wouldn't so bad.

She kept pace with him quite well (though whether it was her own endurance or the determination to stay beside him, she wasn't sure) but she couldn't be happier. Half way through, she chanced a glance at him out of the corner of her eye. He was breathing easily through his nose, not a bead of sweat dripping down his face. As expected, of course. The boy, like the rest of his friends, was remarkably athletic. As if he knew she was watching him, Luffy's eyes flicked toward her and upon meeting hers, he smiled. "You're catching up great today. Normally when I see you, you're slow as a turtle," he said.

Hancock's eyes widened and suddenly her legs felt weak again. Usually when he sees her… he'd been _watching_ her run! She couldn't be anymore ecstatic that the simple fact! With a new spring in her step, she smiled shyly back. "T-thank you," She said. She wanted to say, _"It's because I'm running with you,"_ but before she could, she felt one foot hit something – a root, and she lost control.

For the briefest moment, she was flying, her momentum pushing her forward despite the sudden stop the stumble had caused. Luffy's smile faded into a look of worry and he reached out for her – an attempt to catch her before she hit the ground, but he was too slow. Hancock threw her hands out in front of her as the ground rushed up to meet her. She hit hard, her knee slamming into another root slipping out of the ground and she felt a flash of pain where it connected. The grass scratched her hands and her other knee as she skidded for a few moments before finally coming to a stop.

"Hancock!" Luffy said sharply. The next thing Hancock knew, he was kneeling beside her, a hand on her shoulder worriedly. "Are you ok?"

The pain subsided at the sheer knowledge that he was concerned for her and she hastily replied, "I'm fine, no need to worry," She started to push herself to her feet and Luffy released her shoulders, keeping his hands close, just in case. As it turned out, she needed it, because the moment she put pressure on her injured knee, she winced, the pain causing her to lose her footing and fall once more. Luffy caught her by the shoulders and held her up as she fought back the sting of tears.

"You're bleeding," he said. Hancock looked down at her knee and noticed for the first time a deep cut, bleeding, right on the side of her kneecap. She _was_ bleeding. How had she not noticed it? Before she knew it, she felt herself being lifted up off the ground. Instinctively, she reached out, her arms wrapping around the person's neck. "Don't worry, I won't drop you,"

Luffy. Hancock's eyes widened and she loosened her grip on his neck as he straddled her onto his back, supporting her by her legs, slightly hunched over. She leaned against him, one hand clutching the back of his jacked and the other at her lips nervously, her cheeks tinted pink.

"L-Luffy, you don't have to," she said quickly. Luffy turned his head slightly to look at her over his shoulder and smiled as he started walking off the field.

"Don't start. You can't walk on that and it's my fault you fell anyway. You should have been on the inside, then the root wouldn't have gotten you," he explained. She wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed that he didn't know that it was his smile that distracted her.

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**A/N:** Ok, so on a side note – I know that girls and boys are generally split up in Japanese schools, but this was the only way this situation would work, so I ignored that fact. Sorry!

Also, If you're wondering why Brook isn't there, that's because he's the music teacher. I can't imagine why he'd be standing on the PE field…. So if you guys have any suggestions for more one shots in this (It doesn't HAVE to be LuffyxHancock, let me know in reviews or PM and I'll be glad to write it :D Again, remember to review!

SNE121


	3. Replacement

**Title:** Replacement  
**Rating:** K+  
**Characters:** Nami and Sanji with mentions of Luffy and Hancock  
**Warnings:** AU Gakuen!One Piece, smoking, slight OOCness  
**Summary:** Even Nami is capable of jealousy.  
**A/N:** Wow, this got way better reception than I ever expected! I'm super glad to see people are enjoying it and writing requests! I promise, I'll get to them all as the inspiration strikes. I have to apologize for not updating by the way. Muse has been a little bit dry and I've been busy with college, but with finals almost over, I'll have more time! Sorry if there's a bit if OOCness for them here, but it's an AU so it's to be expected a least a little bit. You all know the drill! Reviews are lovely as are requests 3  
**Disclaimer(s):** One Piece and all of its characters are owned by Eichiro Oda and all associated companies.

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She most certainly was _not_ jealous. Jealousy was stupid, and Nami was by no means stupid. It was perfectly understandable, she told herself, to be upset over the amount of time Luffy had been spending with that Hancock girl. He was as close to a best friend as Nami would ever get, after all. No, even as she watched Luffy and Hancock walk side by side across the school grounds toward the front gates from the second floor of the school, Nami was _not_ jealous.

Ever since that rainy day a few weeks ago, the routine was the same. The bell would ring, Luffy and Nami would leave class together to the shoe lockers, and if the others weren't busy, meet them and go to a park or something to hang out. But ever since _she _started coming around, things had changed. Of course, Nami had every opportunity to walk with Luffy – after all they lived in similar directions. She just didn't want to deal with Hancock's annoying attitude.

She watched the ground below even after Luffy's laughing figure had stepped through the front gate with the stiff uncertain Hancock beside him. Just staring off into space, she told herself. She wasn't watching them leave to make sure that they were in fact going home and not to the usual hangout spot of Luffy's gang. She was an outsider, after all. She didn't belong.

"Oh, Nami-swan, you're still here!" an enthusiastic voice said behind her. Nami turned her head away from the window to look back toward the classroom door as a familiar blonde stepped in. He was loosening his tie around his neck, releasing the top button now that he didn't need to worry about the usual dress code. His sleeves were rolled up, his clean hands holding what appeared to be a small Tupperware container. In his mouth was a toothpick – an unfortunate and unsuccessful substitute for the cigarettes he often smoked. He chewed on it vigorously, trying to distract himself from the absence of his usual accommodations and smiled broadly as he practically danced across the classroom toward her.

Nami couldn't help but let a small smile grace her lips at the sight of the boy. One year her senior and perverted, yes, but chivalrous to a fault, Nami was actually quite surprised to see Sanji here. Normally, his after school hours were spent in the home economics room cooking. Wasn't it a little early for him to be finished?

Sanji stopped his little dance directly beside Nami and opened the Tupperware container carefully. "I made a special treat, just for you~" he said with his usual smile as he offered the container to her.

Quietly, Nami took the container from him. She looked at it; a carefully plated cheese cake swirled with something orange with shavings of chocolate and coconut atop it. It was small, yes, but it looked absolutely delicious and Nami didn't fancy large portion sizes anyway. Either way, it looked as if the young man had gone through a lot of trouble to make it. Never one to turn down a gift, Nami looked up at Sanji and smiled at him slightly. "Thank you, Sanji-kun," she said.

She took the fork which was fit perfectly beside the cake within the Tupperware and took a small bite of the cheese cake and her eyes widened the slightest bit as the flavors exploded on her tongue. The cheese cake, the coconut, and, surprisingly enough, the noticeable tangy sweetness of orange all mixed together in one delicious flavor. She finished that bite, savoring ever second, and could only stare down at the cheesecake. Oranges. Her favorite.

"Nami? Nami-swan, are you listening?" Saji asked. Nami hadn't even realized she'd been talking until he said that and she looked away from the cheesecake to look at the blonde boy, now standing beside the now open window. When had he had a chance to do that? He watched Nami contemplatively, his normal flirty expression gone and replaced with a more serious one.

He could tell that she was upset. He just didn't know why.

Nami forced a smile. "What? Yes, of course I was listening," she said. Sanji seemed unconvinced. Thankfully, he didn't ask her to repeat it what he'd just said; cunning as Nami was, she wasn't sure if she could come up with something convincing on the spot. No, he asked her something worse.

"You seem distracted today. Something wrong?" he asked. He leaned back against the wall between two panes of glass as he reached up with his free hand to take the toothpick out of his mouth, tossing it carelessly out the open window and replacing it with a cigarette fished from the pack in his pocket. Without a word, he raised a lighter to it and lit it, taking a long drag before removing the cigarette from his lips and exhaling the smoke out the window His single visible eye held both of hers for a moment and she found herself unable to look away from his gaze, surprised.

"Wrong?" she asked. Again, she managed that same forced smile, "Of course nothing's wrong. It's been a long day, I'm just tired," she assured him. She stood up and stretched, "Being school treasurer is a hard job, you know, and-"

"Don't you normally walk home with Luffy?" Sanji interrupted. It was so very rare for him to interrupt her that Nami found herself once more at a loss for words. "What happened to that?"

Of course Sanji would notice. Nami's eyes dropped and she stared down at the cheesecake, playing with the coconut flakes with the tip of her fork. "He went on ahead," she said quietly, almost inaudibly. "I told him it was ok… he has Hancock to walk with and I mean, I have a lot of work to do after all…"

"Yeah, you look really busy," Sanji said somewhat sarcastically. He looked out the window, eyes falling upon the vey same gate Nami had been watching just a little while ago. Nami stared at Sanji incredulously, her jaw set, brow knitting together as her eyes narrowed. She set the cheesecake container down roughly and stood up, staring at Sanji.

"It's none of your business, ok!" She snapped at him. How could she ever admit to him that she was jealous of Hancock's infatuation of Luffy, that Luffy seemed to be going along with it. How could she _possibly_ admit that to Sanji? Without a word, snatched up her bag and stormed passed him, leaving the partially eaten cheesecake behind. It wasn't until she was reaching for the door that Sanji spoke.

"She's not your replacement," he said easily. Nami stopped in her tracks, hand on the sliding door. Sanji took another drag of his cigarette, taking his sweet time. It wasn't like him to make a lady wait, but Nami needed time to cool down. "Luffy's just being Luffy. We can't change that and neither can he."

Nami bit her lower lip and wasn't sure if she was fighting back tears or a clever retort. Her mind was spinning so much, she suspected the former, but she wasn't going to admit that. Not even to herself. She turned her head slightly, not quite looking at him, but in his general direction. Perceptive as usual, he was right. Sanji always had that uncanny ability to see what Nami turned a blind eye toward.

Still, Nami managed a small smile, one which Sanji caught a glimpse of before she faced full front again and slid open the classroom door. "Put out that cigarette, you'll make our classroom stink," she said firmly. Without another word, she stepped out of the classroom, closing the door gently behind her.

Sanji smiled slightly, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and rubbing it out on the window ledge before flicking it carelessly away. "Anything for you, Nami-swan," he said quietly.


	4. Letter

**Title:** Letters  
**Rating:** K  
**Characters:** Hancock, Strawhats, Buggy  
**Warnings:** AU Gakuen One Piece,  
**Summary:** Because Hancock couldn't ask him face to face, she decided that a love letter was the best way to ask Luffy to the dance.  
**A/N:** Alright, so this one was a suggestion from **Grimlock the King of Stories** (Quite a handful of a name you've got there!). This will be the first in a small series of related one shots about the upcoming dance :3. Also, _Genkan_, which I use in this chapter, is the room, like an entryway, where Japanese people take off and store their shoes in shoe lockers called '_getabako'_.

**Disclaimer(s):** One Piece and all of its characters are owned by the great Eichiro Oda.

* * *

There was only one week left until the dance. One week to buy a dress. One week to continue turning down boys who asked her out. One week to get Luffy to say 'yes'. She could never go up to him face to face; that would be far too embarrassing. No, instead, Hancock did things a bit more indirectly. She held a letter in her hand, written with pink ink and sealed with a kiss (and the assistance of the adhesive on the envelope). The front of it said a single line: 'The boy I love', accompanied by a heart beside the name. She'd even gone so far as to spray some of her perfume onto it. It was her sign of love. She only hoped he would accept.

She made sure that the _genkan_ room was empty before quickly moving across toward his locker. How many times had she seen him come to this very locker to change his shoes? She was certain it was the right one! She took a quick survey of her surroundings once more before pulling open the shoe locker, thankfully empty of love letters. Hancock looked down at her letter, taking a deep breath and hugging it briefly before placing it carefully upon his shoes. There was no way he could possibly miss it if it was there.

The sound of the bell ringing made her jump with a start and she suppressed a squeal by covering her mouth with her hands. Already, she could hear the voices and footsteps of students walking out of their classrooms and hastily, she slammed the locker door shut and ran out of the room, her face bright red.

Luffy was laughing as he stepped into the _genkan_, already hopping on one foot to take off one of his school uniform shoes. Nami, whom he'd been walking with, laughed at his attempt as she strayed away from him toward her own locker, Sanji not far behind. Usopp ran in with Chopper at his side, waving at Luffy as they passed toward their own locker a few rows down. Robin, apparently, had already finished changing her shoes and was waiting by the exit of the _genkan_ for the others.

"Should I go and get Mr. Swordsman?" she asked Luffy with that usual mysterious smile of hers. Luffy, leaning against the locker, finally managed to get his second show off and looked up at Robin with a grin.

"Yeah!" he answered, "Hang on a sec, I'll go with you," he added. He picked his shoes up from the floor and opened his locker, taking out his regular shoes and replacing them with the others. He haphazardly pulled them on, hopping, before grabbing his school bag and running to Robin.

"Nami! Grab Zoro's shoes, we're going to go kidnap him from his Kendo practice," Luffy called, joigng backwards a few paces as he spoke. He heard a faint, "Alright!" in response and turned around, running out of the room toward the gym. "Remember, meet at the gates and don't be late! Sunny's Café closes early today!" he called over his shoulder. Robin chuckled and followed him.

* * *

Sitting under the blossoming Sakura tree in the courtyard, Hancock stared impatiently at the watch on her wrist, becoming more and more nervous with each second. She couldn't believe she had actually done it; she'd arranged to meet the one and only Monkey D. Luffy. And now, he was going to come here and meet her so she could properly confess her love. The conversation was already running through her head. She could see it so very clearly

"_L-l-luffy…. I've been wanting to say this for a long time, but—"_

"_Hancock, stop," Luffy said, raising a hand, "Please, there's something I have to tell you first," He stepped toward her, taking both of her hands in his and looking up at her with this beautiful dark sparkling eyes of his. "The truth is, Hancock, I've been too embarrassed to say this for a while but that note you left me opened my eyes and made me realize…" he paused, tightening his grip on her hands and raising them slightly, "I love you, Hancock. Will you be my girlfriend?"_

Hancock squealed, her face beet red as she sank into a bench beside her. Oh, yes, it would be just like that! She heard footsteps approaching and quickly she turned away from the direction of the main school building, covering her face with her hands. If Luffy saw her like this, she would be far too embarrassed to even begin that conversation! A hand upon her shoulder made her entire body stiffen in a sudden wave of nervousness. There was no way she'd be able to say a single word now!

"Boa Hancock?" A voice asked. Hancock blinked, tilting her head to one side. This voice… this was not Luffy. She turned her head, startled to see not her beautiful Luffy, but _another_ boy. A short and stocky man with blue hair and, of all things a _red nose_. "I got this note in my locker. _You_ wanted to talk to me?" He was far too excited about this, grinning stupidly. Hancock stared at him for a moment, shocked, then looked down at the hand on her shoulder.

_His_ hand on _her_ shoulder. Who did he think he was? She slapped his hand off and stood up, standing her tallest, head back as she looked down at the much shorter boy. She'd put the note in the _wrong_ locker! And what's worse; she put it in the locker of her lover's _enemy_. It was common knowledge that Buggy the Clown, as the student body referred to him, hated Monkey D. Luffy ever since Luffy embarrassed him at the sports day.

Speaking of embarrassment, Hancock didn't even want to _speak_ to this boy! What a horrible mistake! But she wouldn't show how embarrassed she was. Instead, she snatched the note out of Buggy's hand and turned on her heel, long hair 'accidentally' whipping Buggy in the face as she walked away, head held high.

She'd just have to try again!

* * *

**A/N**: one more note; 'Sunny's Café = Thousand Sunny, their usual hang out spot after school. It _used_ to be Merry's Diner, but I'll tell you guys that story in a chapter if you want to hear it~ though it'll probably be a multiple-chapter part.


	5. Unworthy

**Title:** Unworthy  
**Rating:** K  
**Characters:** Hancock, Ace  
**Warnings:** AU Gakuen One Piece  
**Summary:** Ace won't let just _anyone_ take his little brother to the dance.  
**A/N:** Wow, it's been a while since I've updated! And to top it off, I'm updating with a character I don't often write as, so he's most likely going to be a little bit OCC for both characters but I'm pretty sure I got that subtly protective side of him in there pretty well (at least I hope)… so yeah. Part two in the Dance series. Still taking requests and HOPEFULLY that'll build my muse for this story a bit (and my muse in general...) You know the drill guys~ R&R  
**Disclaimer(s):** Same Drill. Don't own. Blah Blah blah.

* * *

Ace stared at the letter clamped tightly in the girl's small, delicate hands. It was a simple envelope, or at least it _had_ been before it had been drawn all over with hearts and an intricately written name 'Luffy' across the front. He raised his eyes to look at the girl. Hancock held the letter for dear life, her jaw set, eyes determined and lips set into a straight line on her perfectly framed face. The only blemish was the bright red tint to her cheeks beneath sky blue eyes.

"Let me get this straight." He said, raising a hand slightly to tap a finger against the letter, "You want me to take this…" that same hand lifted and he gestured a thumb over his shoulder toward the school gates, "And take it home to give it to my kid brother?" Hancock nodded quickly a few times wordlessly. Ace was absolutely shocked.

It wasn't so much the fact that someone was asking Luffy to the dance, (because hey, Luffy was his brother, being handsome was a requirement), but seriously, Hancock was the most beautiful girl in school. Even Ace had to admit that and he didn't really have much interest in the dark haired beauty. His little brother had _seriously_ scored here! Well almost. The least she could do was ask him herself. Ace let his hand drop to his side and slid them back behind his back, hooking his thumbs in his back pockets as he leaned back slightly with a sigh.

"Here's a question," he said. He tried not to smirk in amusement to see Hancock's embarrassed face become a bit annoyed with a slight narrowing of her eyes. His gesture had made it clear that he wasn't going to take the letter; at least not yet, "Why don't you just ask him yourself, hmm?"

Question of the hour. He wasn't expecting a coherent answer. A sputtering of words maybe, or even just her running away from him in embarrassment. That was what most girls did when he asked them that when they tried to give him notes to pass on to his friends or something. But Hancock didn't. Instead, she lowered the letter, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I tried that already," she said. Ace blinked in surprise. She'd tried and Luffy said no? That didn't sound right… He quirked an eyebrow and she huffed impatiently, clearly not wanting to explain. "I put it in his shoe locker, but it turned out to be the wrong one, ok?"

"You put it in the wrong locker." Ace bit his lip, puffing out his cheeks slightly to keep himself from laughing at the thought of Hancock sitting somewhere alone, waiting, only to have the wrong person come. He raised a fist to his lips, clearing his throat before asking, "Who's locker was it?"

He'd never seen a girl look so furious and embarrassed at the same time in his life. She looked away, tapping a finger on the opposite arm as she considered answering. But she needed to answer. She needed to be as honest as possible to get him to do it for her. That was the only reason she was talking to him anyway. "Buggy the Clown," she admitted.

Embarrassment faded away to give way for full anger when Ace burst into laughter, nearly doubling over and holding his gut breathlessly as he gasped something about 'Buggy'. Hancock was most certainly _not_ amused! "Are you going to give it to him or not?" she asked, all politeness abandoned in favor of her queen bee attitude. Ace struggled to stop laughing, holding up a finger to gesture for her to wait as he gasped desperately.

"S-sorry!" he said, standing once more at his full height with sporadic chuckles at the image of Hancock and Buggy together at a dance. He rubbed his stomach slightly to ease the ache caused by the fit, taking a deep shuddering breath to force himself to relax. Needless to say, he was still grinning from ear to ear as he looked at Hancock with arms crossed, "Nah, I don't think I will though," he told her.

Hancock's jaw dropped. _No_? No one ever said no to her! It was absolutely unheard of! She tried to form words, sputtering a few syllables of nonsense before turning on her heel, long hair whipping behind her as she walked away. "I'll find someone else then!" she finally managed.

"Hey, hold up!" Ace called after her. Of course, he was going to change his mind! Hancock stopped, turning her head only to look at him over her shoulder. He hadn't taken a single step toward her, still standing in that same place with his arms now crossed comfortably behind his head. She turned half-way to look at him expectantly, clutching her letter. "Why don't you go ask him yourself instead of getting someone to do it for you?" She opened her mouth to repeat her earlier statement; that she _had_ tried, but Ace interrupted her, grin fading into a more serious face, "And I mean with words. Not a stupid letter. A girl who can't even ask my brother face to face isn't good enough to take him to something like the school dance,"

Hancock was stricken with shock at the statement, staring at the boy with widened eyes. She… she wasn't good enough for him? _Unworthy!_ But surely that didn't mean anything… this was coming from _him_ not Luffy. But then again he was Lufy's brother… surely they shared views. Hancock looked down at the letter in her hand in contemplation. Her first instinct was to tell him that it wasn't his business; that he didn't know what was good enough for Luffy, but then she realized that this was _his brother_. Luffy was endlessly devoted to the boy and he to Luffy. If anyone knew Luffy, it was Ace.

She erased her face of even the shadow of a doubt and crushed the letter in her hand, turning away from Ace without a word in response and leaving. Ace watched her go, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. Maybe he'd been a bit harsh, but he wasn't going to let a girl take Luffy to the dance if they couldn't ask him properly. He sighed in discontent, turning in the opposite direction, "What do these girls think I am, a messenger?" he asked with a chuckle.

His idiot brother with the Senior Queen…. It was a completely incredulous thought and yet Ace couldn't help but smile at the image of the two together. As long as she did things properly, of course.


	6. Persistent

**Title:** Persistence  
**Rating:** K  
**Characters:** Nojiko, Nami  
**Warnings:** AU Gakuen One Piece, possible OOCness  
**Summary:** Nojiko speaks to her sister about the upcoming dance.  
**A/N:** I'm really delving into the 'I'm not sure how to write these characters' realm with this story… so again, sorry if anyone's out of character. I've never written Nojiko before and we don't really see much of her other than the arlong arc, but I couldn't keep her out. So I made this little 'filler chapter' for her (to get me going on this story again and really doesn't do much in terms of progression). I love the requests I've gotten and I'm definitely going to bring them in soon! This was just begging to be written . (if you really squint, there's a tiny hint of nojiko/ace in there)  
**Disclaimer(s):** Is this _really_ necessary?

* * *

Nojiko could tell something was wrong the moment her sister stepped through the door that afternoon. There was no announcement of her arrival, let alone the usual 'how was school' conversation that briefly passed between the sisters before they went into the orange groves to pick some fresh fruit to make orange juice for dinner. Instead, Nami went straight up to her room. She knew something was wrong, but normally Nami's problems played themselves out. She was a strong girl and very secretive anyway. Even Nojiko wasn't often told what was on the girl's mind.

So she had to use some sneakier methods to get information out of her baby sister. Nojiko went about her business as usual, collecting some oranges, making the fresh juice to share. Filling two tall glasses with the juice, she made her way down the hallway toward Nami's room. The door, as usual, was closed, the sign on the door flipped from 'Come on in' to 'Do Not Disturb'. Normally, Nojiko would leave her at that. Not this time though.

Balancing the two glasses precariously in one hand, she knocked on the door. Two quick raps, then stopping,letting her hand rest on the knob as she awaited permission to enter. For a moment, there was silence. Then, Nami's muffled voice spoke through the thin apartment door. "Come in,"

Nojiko turned the knob, pushing the door open and using her hip to hold it as she shifted the extra cup into her free hand before progressing into the room. Nami lying on her bed, her favorite fountain pen in hand scratching furiously into a thick leather bound journal Nojiko had bought her earlier this year. Nojiko took a quick survey of the room. On the desk by the window was drafting paper – the current work in progress of her geography assignment. "Just put it down on the table," Nami said, indicating with her foot to the bedside table by the head of her bed.

Nojiko walked toward the table, setting the glass down upon it before turning to look at Nami once more. "Writing a novel, there?" she asked, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"Maybe," Nami said without looking up. Nojiko frowned. For a moment there, she thought that Nami was actually going to tell her something. If Nami wasn't going to spill it, it was time to go on the offensive. Nojiko grabbed the rolling chair from Nami's desk, pulling it up at the foot of the bed and sitting on it backwards, straddling the backrest and leaning her arms atop it as she gazed at her sister.

"So I heard yesterday from Ace that that Hancock girl wants to take Luffy to the dance," she said easily. Now, Nami raised her eyes, brown meeting pale blue and for a moment, the two sisters stared each other down. Nami was the first to display emotion, biting her lower lip slightly as if contemplating what to say and Nojiko's expression softened. "Want to talk about it?"

"Not particularly," Nami answered. Regardless, she closed the journal, capping the fountain pen and sitting up on her plush, full-sized bed with her legs folded Indian style. She shrugged her shoulders, forcing a smile, "It's no big deal though, he can do what he wants,"

"So I take it he said yes," Nojiko deduced. Nami looked almost offended by the assumption, her brow furrowing, mouth opening ever so slightly as if to argue, but Nojiko quickly cut her off, raising a hand slightly in apology, "Or not—just checking," she said. She tried her best not to show her amusement at her little sister's antics. Nami was good at hiding her intentions, but when it came to romantic feelings, she was absolutely horrible and keeping a secret. At least from Nojiko.

"If he hasn't said yes to her, then why don't _you_ ask her?" Nojiko asked. Nami's expression faded from anger to absolute shock and she stared at her adoptive sister as if she'd grown a second head.

"Are you out of your mind?" Nami demanded, "The girl _never_ asks the guy out, it's supposed to be the other way around. If Luffy wants to ask me, he'll ask me, but I'm not going to be a desperate little schoolgirl like Boa Hancock and make the first move," At some point during the little speech, she crossed her arms over her chest, looking away from Nojiko to gaze out her window with a smug expression that seemed to say 'isn't it obvious?'. "and besides, Luffy's never going to ask a girl out. He's too simple minded for that," Nojiko shook her head and stood up, taking hold of her glass of orange juice and taking a small sip before starting toward the door.

"Well," she said over her shoulder, pulling the door open and stopping to look at Nami, "It's a good thing there's another handsome boy who's got his eye on you," she said, offering the girl a knowing smile. Nami's glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, her face placid, but Nojiko could see the curiosity in those brown eyes of hers. "Dinner will be ready in an hour," she said. And without another word, she stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Nami would realize it soon enough. Sanji was a persistent young man, after all.


	7. Misconceptions

**Title:** Misconceptions  
**Rating:** K+?  
**Characters:** Zoro, Luffy, Johnny very briefly  
**Warnings:** AU Gakuen One Piece, rumour spreading  
**Summary:** Zoro and Luffy get into an argument on the stairwell about Zoro going to the dance, only to be caught at the most inopportune moment by none other than Johnny.  
**A/N: **Okk, so this is actually a request from **Tazumi Hanako**: " it be nice to see a little misunderstanding for people if Zoro and Luffy got into a little fight but when someone interrupts they end up in a position that is mistaken as Zoro liking Luffy which is not the case." It was supposed to take a bit of a different direction, but honestly, these things write themselves. I just put it to paper. So yeah—sorry if anything's OOC and I hope this is to your liking Tazumi Hanako! Clearly, this will last more than a single chapter and will be mixed in with the homecoming dance series. So yeah—enjoy!  
**Disclaimer(s):** Is this _really_ necessary?

* * *

Luffy was his best friend.

There was no question about it. The two of them were always together when he wasn't in kendo club. They fought each other's battles, stood up for one another; his loyalty to Luffy was second to none. No one would ever question that, should it call for it, Zoro would jump in front of a bullet for Luffy. That was how deep their bond went. Their devotion.

But no amount of devotion could ever change the fact that Luffy could be_ fucking annoying_. Zoro wasn't sure how much more he could take at this point. The dark haired boy was sitting across from him as he sat, eyes closed on the roof of the school, arms crossed behind his back. He was just staring. Silent. The few times he'd tried to speak, Zoro had given him a sharp glare with a single opened eye and the raven shut his mouth immediately.

But Luffy had never been patient, "Come _on_, Zoro, just hear me out," he complained. Zoro twitched ever so slightly, but made no indication that he was listening, "You could take Vivi! I'm sure she'd like it. Or maybe even Caimie! Oh, oh, what about Tashigi?"

"Luffy, for the last time, I'm not going to the stupid dance," Zoro grumbled, clearly impatient as he finally opened his eyes, "Why are _you_ even going? I thought you weren't into things like that."

"Well, I'm not," Luffy confirmed, "But they've got free food! And it's from Baratie!" he declared. Zoro sighed and shook his head. Of course it would be about food. He stood up, realizing he wasn't going to be getting any sleep here, and started toward the door leading down to the staircase.

"Not interested. If it's form Baratie that means that dartboard brow is cooking it," Of course, Zoro couldn't deny that Sanji was one of the best chefs at the Baratie and personally, loved the food when the cook would supply it, but he wasn't going to admit that out loud. It was well known that Zoro and Sanji didn't get along and, honestly, it wasn't meal time with them unless Zoro insulted his choice of cooking.

"But Zoro—" Luffy complained. He followed his green haired companion, catching up with him at the door as Zoro opened it and started down the staircase and Luffy followed right behind, "Please! I'll be there, so it's not like you're going to be a loner,"

A twitch of annoyance; Zoro kept himself contained as he continued down the stairs, resisting the urge to grab the nearest sword-shaped instrument and whack Luffy over the head with it, "Why the hell do you think I'd be a loner in the first place?" he snapped.

"Well you're not going to ask anyone out and I'm pretty sure most people are too scared to ask you anyway," Luffy replied.

"Wait, I get it," Zoro said, stopping. He looked at Luffy, a condescending smirk spread across his lips as he jabbed a finger at the boy's chest, "You just don't want to be the only guy there going stag,"

"It's not even that—Sanji doesn't have someone yet and I couldn't care less about a date. All I want is the free food," he said, "But if that's what you're worried about, then Usopp's going alone too!"

"So what?" Zoro muttered, continuing down the staircase, Luffy following quickly. He stepped around Zoro, moving in front of him and walking precariously down the stairs backwards.

"Chopper?"

"And that's going to change my decision _why_?"

"_Zooroo_!"

"Oh, give it a rest!" he snapped. "Now turn around before you fall and—"

Zoro stopped short halfway through that statement because, as if on cue, Luffy suddenly missed a step. He stumbled back, trying to regain his balance but failed, reaching out for the first thing he could find which, in this case, was Zoro's outstretched arm as the elder boy reached out to grab him. It seemed to happen in slow motion, Zoro gripping Luffy's arm tightly as he reached with his free hand to grab the railing to steady his own now tilting body. He felt a tug on his arm as Luffy grabbed on with his free hand as well and then, the world tilted, suddenly speeding up once more as the two of them toppled down the flight.

They hit the wall with a surprisingly loud _THWACK_, Zoro's back hitting it with Luffy falling atop him. Zoro grunted from the impact, more in pain from the weight of Luffy atop him than the actual collision. As skinny as the idiot was damn he was _heavy_.

"Ow," Zoro growled, rubbing the back of his head as he sat up. "Damn it, that hurt. Luffy you idiot, watch where you're going!" he snapped. He could feel a lump forming where he'd hit and cursed quietly under his breath. At least that was all the damage he'd sustained.

"Hey, it's not my fault!" Luffy retorted. Zoro stared at him, beyond surprised now. _Not his fault_? "If you would've said yes, I wouldn't have had to do that in the first place."

"Don't pin this on me, dumbass! Who in their right mind walks _backwards_ down a flight of stairs?"

"I do," Luffy replied.

Oh god, he really was an idiot. Zoro buried his face in one hand, shoving Luffy off of him and standing once more before dusting off his disheveled uniform (not that it was ever in pristine condition anyway, Zoro had a habit of disobeying dress code). "Ok, whatever," Zoro said at last. It wasn't worth arguing with him anymore.

"So you'll go?" Luffy asked, eyes suddenly bright with excitement. Zoro turned on him fiercely and Luffy backed away in surprise. He found himself against the wall and Zoro lashed out with a fist, punching not Luffy but the wall directly beside his head hard enough to make his knuckles bleed.

"Ugh if I say yes, will you leave me alone?," he said through gritted teeth, eyes narrowing. He leaned forward, their faces inches apart with a clearly frustrated expression. Luffy was Zoro's best friend, but enough was enough. Luffy nodded, enthusiasm rising once more, "Alright fine, I'll go to the stupid dance with you, ok."

"Zoro? Luffy?" A different voice asked. The pair of them blinked briefly, then turned to the source of the voice, surprised. Standing on the staircase below them was a dark haired boy Zoro's age. His dark sunglasses were sliding down his nose but he made no attempt to push them back up as he looked at the two boys.

Zoro had Luffy practically pinned to the wall. Their faces had been inches apart, Luffy's eyes wide in surprise and Zoro clearly asserting his dominance… Johnny's face reddened at the thought and he raised his glasses to settle properly over his eyes once more. "Oh, sorry! Talk about bad timing, I didn't mean to interrupt you guys!"

Zoro pulled his face away from Luffy's, unclenching his fist to let his palm rest against the wall as he leaned againse it. "What are you talking about, Johnny?" he asked, confused. He looked back at Luffy, confused, and then he realized it. The way they were standing… it looked almost like he was about to… about to kiss him! Zoro quickly stepped away, holding up his hands slightly in defense, "Woah, wait a minute, don't get the wrong idea."

I'll just… I'll go back downstairs; you continue what you were doing!" Johnny insisted, clearly not looking at them. He turned on his heel, scampering quickly (and clumsily) down the stairs to the door one flight below.

"Wait, Johnny, it's not what it—" Before he could even finish his statement, Johnny was out the door, slamming it hard behind him. Zoro groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead in obvious frustration, "Damn it, just great," he mumbled. Before him, Luffy laughed.

"What a weirdo, what was he so flustered about?" he asked. Zoro stared at him, hand clenching into a fist once more. "You…" He muttered, trying to find words. Then, without a second thought, he raised the fist, hitting Luffy hard over the head, "Idiot!"

"Ow! What was that for, jerk!"

Outside the door, Johnny stood, back pressed against it with a his face beet red. How stupid could he be? Choosing that exact moment to go and find Zoro to go to Kendo practice—if he'd been just a moment later he probably wouldn't have ruined the beautiful moment they were having! Ugh, he was such an idiot! Still… he knew Zoro was fiercely loyal to Luffy ,but he never thought once that _that_ was why…But Johnny wasn't going to judge Zoro. No way! That was his big bro, whatever he decided, Johnny still looked up to him!

Maybe it wasn't completely ruined though… maybe Zoro still had the courage to finally confess his love…? Johnny kept that thought in her mind, hoping that he hadn't completely destroyed his 'big brother's' moment as he stepped away from the door. The moment he did, someone grabbed the doorknob and with a gasp, he turned, pressing both hands against the door to hold it shut. "Wait, don't go in there!" he said. "They've already been interrupted once, there's still a chance for them!" he declared.

"A chance—who are you talking about?" The person said, raising a confused brow. Johnny spoke before he could stop himself, "Big Bro Zoro and Luffy!"

"What, Zoro and Luffy?" another passerby echoed, startled, "They're alone up there in the stairwell? Was it a fight?"

"Alone? A lover's fight, what! Really?"

"Lovers? So does that mean that they're going out?"

By the end of lunch, the majority of the student body had heard about Zoro pinning Luffy to the wall of the stairwell and pulling him into a passionate kiss to initiate their official 'going out'. Everyone, including, a very flustered and rather furious Boa Hancock.


	8. Dates

**Title: ** Dates  
**Rating:** K+  
**Characters: **Straw Hats P. (minus Brook who is in the middle of band practice), Thousand Sunny  
**Warnings:** None? Except Zoro threats and slight underage drinking.  
**Summary:** The Straw Hat Gang talk about their dates to the dance. Or… lack thereof.  
**A/N:** So this takes place immediately after the last one (finally chronological order!). It kind of came as a random burst of muse, so I figured, why not? Especially because I haven't given Usopp enough love in this story yet… so I figured I'd give him something here. Though this chapter turned out being about everyone (including Zoro's misconception problem). anyway, you know the drill! Reviews would be lovely 3  
**Disclaimer:** Don't own, blah blah.

* * *

"So, Zoro…"

"Don't say it."

But Usopp couldn't help himself. His grin widened in his attempt to subdue the laughter rising in his throat. The green-haired teen was beet red, though whether that was from fury or from embarrassment Usopp wasn't too sure. Honestly, he was pretty convinced it was a bit of both.

"You and Luffy, huh?"

A snort came from a few seats down: Sanji, as he took a drink of his coffee. Beside him Nami bit her tongue to keep from following suit and Robin, sitting beside Zoro covered her mouth strategically with a delicate hand to conceal her smile.

"I'm gonna wring your neck, Usopp."

The threatening tone of voice was almost enough to actually make Usopp comply with the order, but sitting on the opposite side of the group of combined tables in The Sunny Cafe he felt more confident grinning again as Zoro furiously picked up his burger an took a bite. There were three of them; each seating two and Usopp had the pleasure to be sitting on the far left of the group whereas Zoro was on the far right, giving him a ferocious glare at his amused expression. It was easier to be brave around this man when Luffy was seated at the head of the table to his right and there was a group between them.

"Don't be so angry, Zoro. You make a good couple," Nami assured her, reaching across to pat him on the shoulder. He was quick to smack her hand away with his free one, grumbling under his breath and turning his gaze outside the window.

"We all heard about the 'passionate embrace'," Usopp continued, encouraged by the amusement of his friends. He crossed his arms in front of him, hugging himself and turning away as he pretended to engage in a passionate kiss with no one. "'Oh, alright, Luffy, I'll go to the dance with you!'" he said in a high pitched voice. He stopped when a spoon hit him hard in the back of his head and turned quickly to face Zoro, rubbing the spot the metal hit. "Hey-!"

"Next time it'll be the knife," Zoro warned. He glared down at his cup of soda in distaste, then turned away from them to the bar across the quiet restaurant, "Oi, Franky, how about some sake?"

"To celebrate the occasion? Sounds like a SUPER idea!" Franky said. In addition to being a P.E. teacher at the school, he was the own of The Sunny Cafe, having built it from scratch after Merry's burned down. He walked over, carrying a bottle. Most customers wouldn't be allowed sake until they were the legal age, but this group was a special case. They were all friends. Besides, it wasn't as if there was anyone substantial to witness it.

He set down a small glass before Zoro and poured some of the hot alcohol into it. Zoro picked it up, drinking it in one swallow before slamming down the cup as Franky sat down beside them. "There is no occasion," he grumbled.

"So Luffy's officially got a date to the dance then!" Chopper piped in rather eagerly as he munched on his cotton candy. "Cool then! Anyone else have someone they're—"

"Hold it, it's not a date," Zoro said quickly, "He wouldn't leave me alone, so I'm going along with him. We're not _going_ together, we're just… going together."

"Sounds like a date to me," Usopp muttered. Zoro glared at him viciously for a moment before a grin spread across his lips.

"You think so? Well that's definitely an accurate diagnosis coming from someone who doesn't have a date himself."

"For your information, I _do_ have a date," Usopp said. Silence came upon the table and all eyes turned immediately to Usopp, surprised. Usopp had a date? Nami was the first to speak up, leaning forward to see around Chopper to speak to the curly-haired teen.

"What? Who?" She asked. Usopp only grinned triumphantly, stalling for time as always by taking a sip of his soda. The others sat in suspense for a moment, contemplating who it could possibly be until Robin smiled knowingly and spoke up for him.

"It wouldn't happen to be a certain pretty blonde sophomore, would it?" she asked. The others mentally made a list of all blondes in Usopp's grade, trying to figure it out and it didn't take long for them to piece it together.

"Kaya?" they asked simultaneously. Usopp grinned and set down his cup with a nod.

"That's right~"

"So she asked, you? Cool," Luffy said absently, reaching over to Usopp's plate to snatch what was left of his burger. Usopp promptly smacked his hand and Luffy recoiled as if burned. "Hey!"

"That's mine, and _no_ she didn't ask me," he said. Then, sitting straighter rather proudly, he announced, "I asked her. And she said yes rather happily, I might add! Though… I'm not sure how her Guardian's going to take it. High class Kaya going out with a trouble maker like me—"

"Ah, who cares," Luffy said with a shrug, "She said yes and yes is yes, so it doesn't matter what Merry thinks,"

There it was, one of Luffy's rare bouts of inspirational wisdom. There was no question that the boy was intelligent, but that side of him was pretty well hidden beneath his carefree, rather childish exterior. Sometimes even his closest friends forgot just how smart he was.

"W-well enough about me. What about you guys, who are you taking?" Usopp asked quickly. As much as he loved attention, this particular topic was still a bit shaky. He was almost afraid that if he talked too much about it, Kaya would change her mind or something. He took another bite of his burger before looking around at the others who once more became silent aside from Nami tilting her glass to make the ice circle around the edges. "Guys…?"

Then, it dawned on Usopp. _They_ _didn't have dates_! This was too good to be true! Usopp, the last person they expected, was the first? "You guys aren't going with anyone!"

"What are you talking about, I'm going with Zoro," Luffy said, pointing across to his best friend. Moment of wisdom, destroyed.

"We're not _going_ together!" Zoro argued.

"Sanji, even you?" Chopper asked, startled. Sanji sipped his coffee quietly, shrugging his shoulders.

"No, not yet," he admitted easily. He set down the cup, instead taking out a cigarette and putting it between his lips before lighting it and taking a hit, "I've got my eye on someone though,"

"You mean every girl in the student body," Zoro grumbled.

"Sorry to disappoint, _Marimo_. I can understand why you're jealous, but I don't swing that way," Sanji said with a smirk. It didn't last long, however, as he grunted, clenching his teeth so tight that he bit his cigarette in half as Zoro planted a hard kick at his shins under the table.

"You know, Zoro, I'm sure the rumours would stop if you found yourself a real date," Robin suggested, quick to interrupt the boys before a full on fight could break out. Zoro gave her a sidelong glance and Sanji erupted in a fit of laughter.

"Marimo find a real date? Pff, what a joke!"

"Bet I'll have one before you do, dartboard," Zoro retorted.

"Bring it. No girl will ever say—"

"Robin, what do you say?"

Silence again. Zoro looked rather boredly at Robin and the others stared in shock. Zoro and Robin, huh? It took him ages to actually trust her when she transferred to the school and joined their group and now he was asking her to the dance? He shot them a quick look, "Don't look at me like that, it was her idea. Besides, it's just to stop these stupid rumors about Luffy and I," Zoro's gaze returned to the raven beside him, "Well? Don't expect any dances from me, it's all for show,"

"Ah, I see," Robin said with a small nod. "Well, for the sake of your 'reputation', I suppose I can do it. It was, after all, my idea," she stood up, pushing in her chair carefully. She looked down at Zoro with a smile and his eyes narrowed suspiciously. It was more than a smile. She was up to something. "I expect you to match my dress though. Violet should suit you nicely,"

"V-vio-are you _kidding_?" Zoro stammered. Robin turned away from him to look at Luffy apologetically, "Sorry, Luffy, I'm afraid you'll have to find a new date," she told him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go to my tutoring student," And with a quick goodbye, she walked away.

"Ah, speaking of work, I'd better get back to the bar," Franky said, standing as well. He took the bottle of sake from the table, "Sunny isn't SUPER on her own, y'know!"

"Violet.. the bitch is doing this on purpose," Zoro muttered under his breath as Franky walked away. He stood as well, clearly frustrated with this turn of events, and stormed off as well without a word. "Damn it, what was I thinking—"

"Aaah. If Zoro has a date and Usopp too, now I'll have to find someone to go with…" Luffy complained. He frowned, crossing his arms over his chest with a pout. Out of the corner of his eye Sanji watched as Nami straightened ever so slightly in her chair, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. What was she so happy about?

Oh, right. Of course.

"Well, that shouldn't be too hard, right?" Chopper asked, "You get letters in your locker all the time—"

"Yeah, but I'm not gonna go with someone who can't even ask me to my face," Luffy said simply, "And I don't feel like asking anyone…"

Nami's shoulders slackened ever so slightly. A subtle change, but Sanji could see it all too clearly. Luffy would be oblivious. Sanji frowned as he lit up another cigarette to replace the first. Why did he always pick the difficult ones?

"Well, the dance is in four days," Chopper said, "If you guys want to have dates, you'd better hurry up," Of course, Chopper wasn't particularly concerned. Being a freshman, he wasn't too concerned about a date. He'd just be content going with his friends and so far, that was exactly what he'd planned to do.

Nami leaned forward, resting her elbow on the table contemplatively. Four days.

If he didn't ask her in four days, she decided, she just wouldn't go.


End file.
